Global cases near 1.5m; WHO defends itself

Key Points

COVID-19 cases are up 105, or 1.8 per cent, to 6022. There have been 50 fatalities.

The PM has urged compliance with social distancing over the Easter weekend.

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6.59am – Apr 9, 2020

US economy seen in recession by large majority of Americans

Timothy Moore

Most Americans say the US economy has at the least fallen into recession.

Seven in 10 Americans now believe the US economy is in either a recession (40 per cent) or a depression (30 per cent), according to the latest Gallup poll.

The combined percentage has increased by 12 percentage points in the past week, and by 15 points since Gallup's first measurement in late March.

As has been the case, the country is divided politically in assessing the state of the economy.

Eighty-five per cent of Democrats say the economy is in either a recession or depression, compared with 68 per cent of independents and 53 per cent of Republicans, Gallup found.

All party groups are more likely now than a week ago to say the economy has gone into a recession or depression. The largest increase, however, is seen among Republicans, jumping from 31 per cent to 53 per cent, the pollster also said.

6.55am – Apr 9, 2020

Global confirmed cases near 1.5m; deaths top 87,000

Timothy Moore

The number of global confirmed cases stood at 1.495 million and deaths attributed to the COVID-19 virus reached 87,469, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University tally.

The US has almost 420,000 confirmed cases, reflecting in part wider testing than most anywhere else.

Still Morgan Stanley said in its daily virus note that "testing capacity limitations continue to hurt detection and treatment of new cases".

Total deaths in the US have reached 14,262 with about one third of those in New York city alone.

New York and New Jersey continue "to be in what we are calling the saturation phase," Morgan Stanley said.

"New Jersey is at least a few days behind New York, though we continue to expect both to peak over the next 7-10 days. As we have said previously, we expect social distancing measures to remain in place to prevent re-importation of cases from other areas in the US."

Morgan Stanley was cautious about what's happening elsewhere in the US.

"The rest of the US remains early in its outbreak dynamics. Testing rates are low (about 5000 per 1 million), which is reflected by high test positivity rates (16), while most geographies are still in the exponential portion of their growth curve."

Morgan Stanley said the reproduction rate of infections in the US is following a curve that is about 25 days behind China, "though we note that China had much more strict social distancing measures. We would expect it to take longer in the US given the social distancing measures are not as robust".

More than 10,000 people poured into the nation's capital on the ninth day of protests over police brutality, but what awaited them was a city that no longer felt as if it was being occupied by its own country's military.

The court in Brazil has put more than 10 per cent of Vale's iron ore output offline and will likely send jitters through the global iron ore market.

6.45am – Apr 9, 2020

US to begin direct deposits to Americans next week

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is telling House Democrats that direct deposits to Americans will begin next week under the coronavirus aid package.

Mnuchin is also telling the lawmakers that $US98 billion has been approved for small business retention under a program the Trump administration wants Congress to bolster with another $US250 billion in a vote expected Thursday.

The comments were made during a conference call with lawmakers briefed by Mnuchin, Vice President Mike Pence and the administration's coronavirus task force, according to a person unauthorised to discuss the private call and granted anonymity.

Congress is debating the contours of the next potential coronavirus aid package as President Donald Trump seeks $US250 billion for small businesses and Democrats propose tacking on another $US250 billion for small communities, protective gear and food stamps.

The question now is whether and how quickly Congress and the White House can agree to it.

Pence was convening private conference calls Wednesday with House Republicans and Democrats, in separate sessions with Mnuchin administration's coronavirus task force, as all sides appear to agree that more aid is needed.

Mnuchin's assessment to the Democrats appears to address head-on concerns that the small business aid was riddled with problems and not getting into the hands of those who need it most.

He told them that the loans have been approved so far by 3600 lenders. It was not clear, however, how much of that money was now actually out the door.

Lawmakers have raised concerns that the $US1200 direct payments to Americans could be delayed for months for those who do not have direct deposit through Treasury.

5.11am – Apr 9, 2020

New York confirmed cases surge higher

The number of coronavirus cases in New York state alone approached 150,000 on Wednesday, surpassing Spain for the most infections anywhere in the world, even as authorities warned the state's official death tally may understate the true toll.

New York and neighbouring New Jersey on Wednesday again reported new single-day highs for coronavirus deaths.

New York state has 149,316 reported cases compared to Spain's 146,690, according to a Reuters tally. In total, the United States has recorded more than 417,000 coronavirus cases and 14,100 deaths.

New York officials said a recent surge in the number of people dying at home suggests that the most populous US city may be undercounting how many people have died of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

"I think that's a very real possibility," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in his daily news briefing.

Cuomo said 779 people died from the coronavirus in the past day in his state and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said another 275 had died there. Both totals exceeded one-day records reported just a day earlier.

Despite the grim tally, Cuomo said overall trends still appear positive, with the rate of hospitalisations down in the state at the epicentre of the US epidemic.

"Every number is a face, right," Cuomo said of the death statistics. "This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it's our job as a society to protect the vulnerable."

"We need to continue to be absolutely vigilant and, if anything tighten, as opposed to loosen," Murphy said of coronavirus-related restrictions on residents. "And I don't say that with any joy."

Louisiana announced 70 more deaths in the past day, matching that state's single-day record announced a day earlier.

3.38am – Apr 9, 2020

Boris Johnson's condition improves, still in ICU

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's condition is improving and he is able to sit up in bed and engage with clinical staff, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday as Johnson remained in intensive care battling COVID-19.

Johnson was admitted to St Thomas' hospital on Sunday evening with a persistent high temperature and cough and was transferred to intensive care on Monday.

The 55-year-old British leader, who tested positive for the new coronavirus nearly two weeks ago, has received oxygen support but has not been put on a ventilator.

"The latest from the hospital is that the prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving," Sunak said at a daily government coronavirus news conference.

"I can also tell you that he has been sitting up in bed and been engaging positively with the clinical team."

Johnson's designated deputy, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, said earlier the prime minister would soon be back at the helm.

The United Kingdom's total hospital deaths from COVID-19 has risen by a daily record of 938 to 7097 as of 1600 GMT on April 7.

But the number of new infections and hospital admissions in Britain was beginning to show signs of flattening, Stephen Powis, medical director of the National Health Service, told the news conference.

While Johnson was out of action, the country was entering what scientists said was the deadliest phase of the outbreak and the government was grappling with the question of when to lift the lockdown.

"We are beginning to see the benefits I believe but the really critical thing is that we have to continue following instructions - we have to continue following social distancing, because if we don't the virus will start to spread again," said Powis.

3.33am – Apr 9, 2020

New York deaths reset daily record high

New York suffered another day of record fatalities from the coronavirus outbreak, reporting 779 additional deaths even as hospitalisations declined.

"The number of deaths will continue to rise as those hospitalised for a period of time pass away," Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday at his daily virus briefing.

The state has lost more than 1500 people to the virus in the last two days, for a total of almost 6300.

Despite the rising death toll, Cuomo said the state's social-distancing rules and other measures were working.

"It is flattening the curve, and we see that again today so far," he said, adding that "we have to remain diligent, we have to remain disciplined going forward".

"We are by no means out of the woods," he said.

3.12am – Apr 9, 2020

US deaths estimate slashed to 60,415 by IHME

Timothy Moore

The number of Americans expected to die during the first wave of the COVID-19 virus was slashed by more than one-quarter to 60,415, according to one of the most respected modellers.

In its latest update, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation also said deaths would peak in the US on April 12, four days earlier than previously expected.

The first wave is seen extending through August 4.

The IHME forecasts a daily death peak of 2212 on April 12.

As New York city appeared to hit a plateau, there were 10 states yesterday with more than 1000 new cases, as other hot spots have developed in places like Boston and Philadelphia, joining New Orleans and Detroit among others, Amherst Pierpont's Stephen Stanley said.

The latest Johns Hopkins University data had more than 400,000 confirmed cases in the US and almost 13,000 reported deaths.

In a note Pantheon Macroeconomics said US confirmed case growth dipped to a new low of 8.1% on Tuesday local time, the fifth straight decline.

"The absolute number of new cases rose by 29.7K, a new high, but we expect today's increase, which likely will breach 30K—just—to be the peak. A week from now, we think confirmed case growth will be about 26K per day; in twoweeks' time we expect consistent sub-20K and falling."

Amid concerns about the data, Pantheon opted for an optimistic view: "We appreciate that the confirmed case data are not reliable, especially over short periods. But if the case data are mismeasured in a reasonably consistent pattern, then the mismeasurement is a constant, not a variable.

"Confirmed cases are under-reported everywhere, yet the lag between cases and deaths—the latter data are more reliable—is broadly consistent. Don't ignore the real information in the case data just because they aren't perfect."

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2.45am – Apr 9, 2020

WHO's Tedros: don't 'politicise' the virus

The head of the World Health Organisation gave a strident defence of his agency's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, in response to a question about US President Donald Trump's criticism and suggestion that Washington could review funding.

"So my advice, three things," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing. "Please, unity at national level, no using COVID for political points. Second, honest solidarity at the global level. And honest leadership from the US and China."

He urged leaders not to "politicise" the virus.

1.14am – Apr 9, 2020

Viennese horse-drawn carriages now delivering lockdown food parcels

Under coronavirus lockdown, one aspect of modern Vienna might look familiar to victims of plagues past - horse-drawn carriages delivering meals to those most at risk during the pandemic.

So-called "fiaker", derived from the French term "fiacre", have been a feature of Vienna life since it was the capital of a vast empire. Now they live off tourism, their often bowler-hatted drivers offering tours of the city centre from stands at landmarks such as its cathedral and former imperial palace.

But with Austria now under lockdown, some of those drivers are helping an effort to provide free meals to the elderly, who are particularly threatened by the coronavirus outbreak.

The horse drawn carriages are carrying a different cargo now. Wien Tourismus

"There are no tourists, there is no business at all, and therefore they're all at home. But the horses still need to move around," said Christian Gerzabek, a part-time fiaker driver and a local official in Vienna's 13th district for the conservative People's Party.

"My idea was to combine the practical with something good for people who need it... It's also a bit of a signal that despite all this we are here for people and glad to do our bit," he added, wearing a less-than-traditional baseball cap.

Gerzabek and two other fiaker drivers have joined the effort to deliver the 250-300 meals a day prepared at the InterContinental Vienna Hotel, which are also transported by car and bicycle. As of Easter Monday, the target group will switch to medical staff on the night shift at a nearby hospital.

12.55am – Apr 9, 2020

Global cases at 1.44 million

There are now 1.44 million known cases of COVID-19 across the world. A further 83,471 deaths have been reported.

The United States has nearly 400,000 known cases alone and reported deaths are nearly 13,000.

More than 10,000 people poured into the nation's capital on the ninth day of protests over police brutality, but what awaited them was a city that no longer felt as if it was being occupied by its own country's military.